...topics are below, but you are encouraged to find one which excites your intellect and/or is relevant to your future business career. FIELD RESEARCH – requires contacting a company or companies, identifying their current HR policy issues or HR concerns, selecting only one, developing a list of interview questions based on a brief review of research in that HR area, and then conducting an interview to explore the matter in depth. It is NOT merely a report of the conversational narrative of the interview. It is a thorough critique with recommendation for improvement. 1. Critique a current HR policy or issue in a specific company and make recommendations for improvement. Examples of policies are: recruiting, hiring, orientation, training, succession planning, career planning, team development, performance review, equal employment opportunity, pay incentives, a specific type of employee benefit or perk, corrective/disciplinary action, OSHA compliance, and safety recognition. 2. Describe a current HR strategy in a specific company and how it enhances their competitive advantage in business. Discuss strengths and weaknesses of the strategy. Examples are: HR employment planning, performance management system, organization design/development, compensation planning, quality of work life (QWL), promotion of diversity, and team building. 3. Interview a HR Manager in a specific company and identify the major issues facing him/her and how they plan to address them. Generally...
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...topics are below, but you are encouraged to find one which excites your intellect and/or is relevant to your future business career. FIELD RESEARCH – requires contacting a company or companies, identifying their current HR policy issues or HR concerns, selecting only one, developing a list of interview questions based on a brief review of research in that HR area, and then conducting an interview to explore the matter in depth. It is NOT merely a report of the conversational narrative of the interview. It is a thorough critique with recommendation for improvement. 1. Critique a current HR policy or issue in a specific company and make recommendations for improvement. Examples of policies are: recruiting, hiring, orientation, training, succession planning, career planning, team development, performance review, equal employment opportunity, pay incentives, a specific type of employee benefit or perk, corrective/disciplinary action, OSHA compliance, and safety recognition. 2. Describe a current HR strategy in a specific company and how it enhances their competitive advantage in business. Discuss strengths and weaknesses of the strategy. Examples are: HR employment planning, performance management system, organization design/development, compensation planning, quality of work life (QWL), promotion of diversity, and team building. 3. Interview a HR Manager in a specific company and identify the major issues facing him/her and how they plan to address them. Generally...
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...Changing Landscape of Health Care Review February 2, 2015 HCS/490 Review This week in review it is very apparent that health care is always changing, but with recent advances in technology health and government regulation health care is moving from a business to business model to a business to consumer model. This means that health care is shifting from a provider controlled model to a consumer empowered model. Empowering the consumer to take charge of their health care needs gives the consumer control over their health care costs and management. Government regulation such as the Affordable Care Act has placed the responsibility on the consumer for their health care instead of the provider. This move has presented challenges for the health care industry. These challenges call for the health care industry to make changes that educate the consumer, change marketing strategies, add innovative ways to help the consumer become empowered, reform the way health care is delivered, and train staff to meet these challenges with innovative ideas. To address the challenges presented from this changing market the health care industry has undergone a massive restructuring in the way of how health care conducts business (Berkowitz, 2011). One of the major problems with empowering the consumer is that the consumer does not fully understand the coverage plans and real costs associated with health care like the provider does. The consumer must also understand that coverage and costs are...
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...identified strategies most frequently used by their managers. These strategies were identified using the Entrepreneurial Strategy Matrix, a situational model in which the identification of levels of innovation and risk lead to prescriptions of appropriate strategies. Concurrently, this model was empirically tested and its validity supported. Of the strategies used, the five most common were: “work to create a competitive advantage,” “maintain innovation,” “lower the costs of developing and/or maintaining one’s venture,” “defend product/service as it is now,” and “create a first mover advantage.” In addition, there were no differences between the use of strategies by entrepreneurs in service and manufacturing industries. CHAPTER 1 – THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION There is a comprehensive body of literature on strategic planning (Porter 1996), the effects of strategic planning on performance (Veliyath and Shortell 1993), and the effects of strategic planning on small business performance (Covin and Slevin 1991; Watts and Ormbsy 1990). Much of the research on the effects of strategic planning on small business performance focuses on comparing differences between those that conduct formal planning and those that do not (Robinson and Pearce 1983). However, this study found no empirical investigations that focus on non-formal small business entrepreneurial planners, nor any that identify the wide variety of strategies used by them. The most common strategy construct...
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...Aligning Supply Chain Strategies with Product Uncertainties Hau L. Lee upply chain management has emerged as one of the major areas for companies to gain a competitive edge. Managing supply chains effectively is a complex and challenging task, due to the current business trends of expanding product variety, short product life cycle, increasing outsourcing, globalization of businesses, and continuous advances in information technology. The Internet has contributed to both the increasing needs and opportunities for improved supply chain management. With the Internet, companies in a supply chain can be connected in real time with information and knowledge shared continuously, new products and services can be designed to fit special market segments, and new supply chain structures can be developed to serve customers in a more direct manner. S When a company faces the pressure of excessive inventory, degraded customer service, escalating costs and declining profits, or a poor return on assets, its supply chain is out of control. On the other hand, when a company moves in to new markets or new technologies, it must have its supply chain prepared for the new business challenges and opportunities. Although there are many new supply chain concepts and fads designed to exploit the advantages of the Internet, successful companies understand that the right supply chain strategy is dependent on a number of factors: ▪ The strategy needs to be tailored to meet specific...
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...unforeseen events or accomplishments that may or may not become a reality. Creativity, innovation and design are used in any business industry, whether it would the manufacturing industry or a service industry (von Stamm, 2008). Riordan Manufacturing is a research and development company that uses polymer type materials such a plastic, as a principle form polymer to solve organizational needs. The creativity is the way they solve their customer’s needs. The innovation is how Riordan Manufacturing has designed a process that sustains the companies’ processes, products and services (Riordan Manufacturing, 2013). Riordan Manufacturing’s processes were carefully designed to cater to their customers, but also to insure that they do not fall into any form of allegations. They have carefully designed a process that ensures that they meet all regulatory obligations while meeting the customer’s needs. The process starts from organizational information or data collecting to the post project review. Their process declares which polymer plastic materials are needed to solve an organization’s needs to reviewing the final product to ensure organizational satisfaction. The post project review includes the education of how to maintain or use the solution properly to further insure...
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...Introduction to Corporate Entrepreneurship Executive Summary Entrepreneurship is the process or application that drives creation and development of creative and innovative ideas (Frederick and Kuratko 2010). It involves market changes through systematic process to assist in the identification and address of new business opportunities (Alizadeh 2012). Corporate entrepreneurship is about the total process whereby organisations act in an innovative, risk-taking and proactive (Bouchard 2010) ways to help organisations, similar to entrepreneurship of creative and innovative thinking, however, the keyword for corporate entrepreneurship is ‘Organisation’. The aim of this manual was to describe and give an overview of corporate entrepreneurship to senior management and provide the necessary information and updates for an organisation to implement entrepreneurial thinking with its’ internal resources within its organisation. The manual will provides insightful information through the principle types and various dimensions of corporate entrepreneurship. The manual also included the journey through the various generations of innovation process models from simple to full integration models. To promote corporate entrepreneurship within organisation, a framework serving as best practices was discussed in the manual to support smooth adoption and implementation of corporate entrepreneurship. The manual will put emphasis on the different focal areas of corporate entrepreneurship...
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...Total Customer Satisfaction Depends on Supplier Performance Strategic Sourcing • Strategic sourcing: the development and management of supplier relationships to acquire goods and services in a way that aids in achieving the immediate needs of the business • In the past, sourcing was another name for purchasing • As a result of globalization, sourcing implies a more complex process suitable for products that are strategically important The Sourcing/Purchasing Design Matrix Strategic Sourcing Continued • A request for proposal (RFP) is used for purchasing items that are more complex or expensive and where there may be a number of potential vendors • Vendor managed inventory: when a customer actually allows the supplier to manage an item or group of items for them What is Outsourcing? • Outsourcing: the act of moving a firm’s internal activities and decision responsibility to outside providers • Allows a company to create a competitive advantage while reducing cost • An entire function may be outsourced, or some elements of an activity may be outsourced, with the rest kept in-house Reasons to Outsource and the Resulting Benefits Drawbacks of Outsourcing • • • • • Layoff Hired back wages and benefits reduced Bypassing union contracts Noncore activities may become core Loss of competitive knowledge A Framework for Structuring Supplier Relationships Outlet: 10/F, World Interest Building, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Tel: 22701263, make a phone call B4 you...
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...despite the worldwide research on strategic management, there is still not a single definition for such a term. As a result, a wide range of conceptual frameworks exists for the formulation and implementation of strategies. There is no consensus on the factors among the scholars that affect strategic orientation of a enterprise. The consideration is mostly towards market/costumer satisfaction, technology, competition, with the enterprise’s capabilities affecting the most. Some of the scholars emphasize management issues and strategic thinking. Others such as Porter, focus on typology and resource bases. However, few scholars focus on the impact of product life cycle on strategic orientation. The attempt in this paper is to show that not only does the PLC orient strategy of an enterprise faster and straight forward than any other factors, but it also takes all other factors into account. The main question is “how product life cycle affects the strategic orientation of a enterprise”. This study began by defining strategic orientation, product life cycle, and their analysis. The study is focused on how the product life cycle has been influenced by innovation capabilities and how it sequentially affects strategic orientation. Every enterprise has different types of innovation capabilities at every stage of product life cycle, and reacts to the competition and environmental changes differently. Also, each stage of product life cycle, affects the enterprise’s innovation...
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...major factor for life of organizations in information edge is preyed of information technology challenges. In this article we have reviewed in the literature of information systems and discussed the concepts of information system as a strategic tool. Keywords: Strategic information systems, Information technology, Information sciences, Decision support systems, Competitive advantages 1. Introduction The potential usefulness of different kinds of Information System (IS) for environmental management is well recognized (Díez et al, 2009). Perhaps we can say advances in information provision have led organizations to attempt to develop IS or information technology (IT) strategies which interrelate with their business strategies and which together support corporate missions (Rogerson et al, 1994). The three general types of IS that are developed and in general use are financial systems, operational systems, and strategic systems. Well-directed financial systems and...
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...recording and/or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. This publication may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form, binding or cover other than that in which is is published, without the prior consent of the publishers. H A R N E S S I N G C R E AT I V I T Y A N D I N N O VAT I O N 1. Harnessing ‘creativity and innovation’: why the interest? The premise heard repeatedly through CEO rhetoric is that creativity and innovation are critical for an organisation’s success in maintaining its competitive advantage and in surviving. In a recent Bain & Co survey, four in five senior executives have identified creativity and innovation as a ‘top three’ priority for business strategy.1 And this view of creativity is supported by a...
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...Effective HR systems: The impact of organizational climate and organizational strategy on strategic behaviour Industrial and Organizational Psychology Bachelor Thesis Student: Ludwig Fritzsch 0095605 Docents: Prof. Dr. Karin Sanders Drs. Ivy Goedegebure University of Twente Enschede, 30th of July 2009 Preface Within my bachelor education in industrial and organizational psychology at the University of Twente, I conducted this research and immersed myself into relevant scientific literature to build a theoretic basis for my topic, the impact of organizational strategy and climate on strategic employee behaviours. This paper presents the final assignment of the bachelor degree in psychology and is solely written by the author. The introduction part consists mainly of a screening and elaboration on prior scholar’s work. Data from five companies were gathered collectively with other students. At this place my thanks go especially to the employees of the company Nedap N.V. for participating in my research. Nedap inspired my a lot. Furthermore my thanks go to my fellow students for their efforts to find companies to participate. Abstract This paper investigates which configurations of organizational climate and organisational strategy lead to strategic employee behaviour which is crucial for organizations to reach their goals. Based on literature research and empirical research in five companies in the technical sector in the area...
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...McGregor’s Leadership Model In the modern business world, leadership is an essential key to long-term business success. One professional who has developed a theory associated with leadership is Douglas McGregor. This theory suggests that two types of leadership exist. These types are called X leadership and Y leadership. Differing academics have researched the X and Y leadership views and determined various levels of validity associated with this theory. To determine the value of this theory, the research and example-based use of this theory presented by others must be reviewed. Similarly, company leaders must review the history of leadership practices and develop methods that have the highest potential for success in the environment associated company-specific operational activities. Douglas McGregor developed his theory of X and Y leadership in the 1960s at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He believed companies can achieve quality leadership through basic employee motivation. The X and Y styles of motivation are opposite one another and in direct contrast. The X style of leadership and employee motivation states employees lack motivation and are lazy in nature. Essentially, individual employees lack motivation and must be supervised by leaders on a continual basis because those employees avoid responsibility whenever possible. This close supervision narrows employee versatility and requires extensive time and guidance by specific leaders. To establish employee motivation...
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...Introduction When people hear the word innovation they usually think of invention and creativity. While this way of thinking is not incorrect, it is more accurate to look at it from the perspective that innovation is in fact being creative and inventive and taking the outcomes of the creativity process and turning these ideas into useful products or work models. In this essay I will be looking at how innovation is often regarded as the lifeblood of an organisation. 87% of people that were surveyed from the Boston Consulting Group believe that innovation is essential to the success of an organisation. The question now is, ‘how can managers stimulate innovation within an organisation?’ I will be addressing this by looking at three variables within an organisation that a manger can manipulate – Structural, human resource and cultural variables. There are many different definitions of innovation, where Kuczmarski (1996, p.7) states a simple definition of innovation being “A new idea, method or device; a novelty.” However, this simplistic and broad definition does not help managers and employees understand the characteristics of innovation and how they can manipulate the variables to stimulate innovation. If we look at an organisation that is culture orientated, we can define innovation as a social process, as Goffin and Mitchell (2010, p.8) state that innovation in a cultural context is “the intentional introduction and application within a role, group or organisation of ideas...
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...Introduction Sony Corporation was founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita in 1946. It is a multinational company with headquarter based in Japan. Initially the company was named as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo. Later on in 1958 the company name was changed to Sony. Sony Corporation started its business from electronics and first prepared a tape record named as Type-G. It is a leading manufacturer of electronic products. Today the Sony Group comprises three main businesses: electronics, entertainment and financial services. Entertainment and financial services have stable business foundations and both are poised for future growth. Sony is famous for its unique and innovative products and services that inspire the curiosity of people all around the world. Sony is a powerful and successful brand. It will always remain successful if the company monitors the change taking place in a competitive environment. If the company will follow this policy then the competitors will have no effect on the company. Products Sony Corporation is offering basically three types of products; 1. Electronics 2. Entertainment 3. Financial services 1. Electronics The electronic business of the Sony Corporation consists of the following products; * Digital Imaging * Personal computers * Smart Phones * Tablet * Television 2. Entertainment The entertainment products of the company are; * Music * Games 3. Financial Services The financial service business...
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